偿 meaning and stroke order
To repay, to recompense; restitution
How to write 偿, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 偿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to repay
- to compensate for
- to recompense
- to fulfill (hopes etc)
How 偿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 尝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 偿
A person 亻 stands next to 尝 (cháng, to taste), which gives the sound. Picture a person who tasted your food and now has to pay you back for it.
偿 is almost always used inside words like 补偿 (bǔcháng), 赔偿 (péicháng) and 偿还 (chánghuán), not on its own. It covers paying back debts, compensating for damage, and having wishes fulfilled. Example: 他终于如愿以偿。(Tā zhōngyú rúyuànyǐcháng.) He finally got what he wished for.
Common mistake: Learners often write 尝 (cháng, to taste) when they mean 偿, because the two sound the same. Remember that repaying involves a person, so 偿 needs the 亻 on the left.
Common words with 偿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 补偿 | bǔcháng | to compensate; to make up | HSK 5 |
| 赔偿 | péicháng | to compensate | HSK 5 |
| 偿还 | chánghuán | to repay; to reimburse | HSK 7-9 |
| 如愿以偿 | rúyuànyǐcháng | to have one's wish fulfilled | HSK 7-9 |
| 无偿 | wúcháng | free; no charge; at no cost | HSK 7-9 |
| 得不偿失 | débùchángshī | the gains do not make up for the losses (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 赔偿金 | péichángjīn | compensation | |
| 偿命 | chángmìng | to pay with one's life |
偿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 偿
How many strokes are in 偿?
偿 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 偿 mean?
偿 (cháng) means to repay, to recompense; restitution. A common word with it is 补偿 (bǔcháng), meaning "to compensate; to make up".
How do you pronounce 偿?
偿 is pronounced cháng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 偿?
The radical of 偿 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 偿 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 偿?
The traditional form of 偿 is 償. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 偿 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 偿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 偿 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 补偿 and 赔偿?
赔偿 (péicháng) usually means paying for damage or loss you caused, often in a legal or formal sense. 补偿 (bǔcháng) is broader and means making up for something, such as lost time or effort, even when nobody is at fault.
Does 无偿 mean the same as 免费?
Both can mean free of charge. 无偿 (wúcháng) is more formal and stresses that no payment or reward is expected, as in 无偿献血 (wúcháng xiànxuè), voluntary unpaid blood donation. 免费 (miǎnfèi) is the everyday word for free products or services.